The Rev. Samuel Anthony Wright

Sam Wright

The Reverend Sam Wright, whose love of wilderness and lifelong interest in the ecology of plants and people led him to a life of study and activism in northern Alaska, died on 24 July 2016 at the age of 97.

Samuel Anthony Wright, Jr., was born on 13 June 1919 in a mining camp in Hurley, New Mexico. He studied biology at the University of New Mexico while concurrently working on the Manhattan Project and teaching genetics at University of El Paso (TX). In 1948 he moved with his spouse Jean and three young children to Cloverdale, California, where he served a weekend ministry at the First Congregational Church and spent weekdays in Berkeley for ministerial study at Starr King School.

In 1950 Mr. Wright received his B.D., accepted a call to the Unitarian Church of Stockton (CA), and was ordained there the same year. He left that pulpit in 1952 to direct the American Unitarian Association’s youth program, during which time he wrote the hymn text, “We Would Be One.” Called back to parish ministry in 1954 at the Marin Fellowship of Unitarians in San Rafael (CA), he served there until 1961 and then joined the core faculty at Starr King. Sam spent a 1968 sabbatical hiking in Alaska and soon resigned his position at Starr King for a move to wild Alaska.

He helped establish UU fellowships in Anchorage and Fairbanks, and served interim ministries in San Antonio, Long Beach, Tulsa, Palo Alto, Fresno, Auburn (CA), Reno (NV). After a return to the Marin Fellowship, he was named minister emeritus there in 1989. But summers always meant retreat to his Alaska cabin for reconnection and renewal.

Sam Wright is survived by his third spouse, Donna Lee, four children, Patricia, Chip, Roberta, and Bill, plus stepchildren, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Jeanne Washeim Reed

Jeanne Washeim Reed, age 87, died on July 9, 2016. Jeanne was the wife of the Reverend Robert “Bob” Reed, whom she met in high school, dated through college, and married in 1950, when they both graduated. Shortly after Bob had enrolled in graduate school, the children started coming, and a change of plans was required. They moved to Arlington VA, where he found work, and Jeanne began teaching in the local schools. She continued teaching until she retired.

In Arlington, they found the Unitarian Church and became members. They served in the church school and soon Bob felt a call to ministry. He enrolled at Meadville Lombard and they moved to Park Forest, IL. After his graduation they returned to Arlington for a year, then served in Bloomington, IL for 8 years, Louisville, KY for 17 years, and Shelter Rock for 9 years. They returned to Louisville when they retired in 1994.

Jeanne was very busy most of her life, taking the bigger share of family and household duties while continuing her work in the schools. She kept the home running by being well organized and maintaining strict standards. Her career unfolded into working at a modified residency school for children with behavioral issues. She also remained engaged with the church, singing in the choir and becoming renowned for the biscotti she made and the cookies she baked each Christmas.

Aside from her work and church, Jeanne loved her summers in Wisconsin, where she would read voraciously. She enjoyed the local sports teams and the orchestra, and always had houseplants to attend to. She made friends wherever they lived, both within and outside the congregations they served.

Although she suffered from a cognitive decline in the last few years of her life, she is remembered as an amazingly capable woman who juggled career and family in a time before such a thing was common. She was survived by her husband of 66 years, Robert Reed (now deceased); four sons, Robert (Sherrille), Doug (Lynn), Jeff (Nancy) and David (Kathleen) Reed and seven grandchildren.

The Rev. Dr. John S. Gilbert

John Gilbert

The Reverend Dr. John Gilbert, parish minister, gardener, storyteller, and lover of poetry, died on 28 June 2016 at the age of 84.

Friends and colleagues remember John for his love of words, books, cooking, and for growing vegetables (garlic, tomatoes, potatoes) and flowers (hollyhocks, sunflowers amaryllis). He was a war objector, conscientious (Korea) and otherwise. Other enthusiasms included calligraphy, drawing, origami, string figures, computer correspondences, drawing, word puzzles, trekking, pole-walking, biking, and baking bread.

John Stout Gilbert was born on 10 December 1931 to John Wendell Gilbert and Lula Mae Gilbert on a small family farm in Russiaville, Indiana. From Quaker beginnings, John found the Unitarian church in the late 1950s when he and spouse Nancy sought religious community for their young family. He became an active lay leader, earned a B.S. at UWisc-Milwaukee (WI), worked as a teacher and employment counselor, and eventually answered a call to ministry, completing work for a D.Min. from Meadville Lombard Theological School in 1977.

Mr. Gilbert was ordained in 1976 by the Unitarian Church West of Brookfield (WI) and was settled in Winnipeg, Manitoba, for ten years. A series of shorter ministries took him to Toronto (Ontario), Charlotte (NC), and the First UU Church of Rochester (MN), where he was elected Minister Emeritus upon his departure in 1992. Afterward he continued parish service with the UU Church of Meadville (PA) from 1992 to 1996.

John is survived by siblings Jane Hendrickson, Marge Lake Baurley, and Joe   Gilbert, children Victoria, Bart, and Sarah, and four grandchildren.

Memorial donations are encouraged to Friends of the Library, Multnomah   County, 919 SW Taylor Street, Suite 220, Portland, OR 97205, or via the following link:   www.friends-library.org/donate/#!form/Donate.

Notes of condolences may be sent to his daughter, Victoria Gilbert,   2832 SE Salmon St., Portland, OR 97214.

The Reverend Suzanne Marsh

The Reverend Suzanne Marsh, aged 55—parish minister, social activist, community leader, and interfaith advocate—died unexpectedly on 24 June 2016 after a heart attack, fall, and head injury from which she never regained consciousness.

Suzanne walked her talk, holding numerous volunteer positions before and during professional ministry. In her last pastorate (Church of the Desert, Rancho Mirage, CA), she was quickly recognized by interfaith colleagues as bringing “a unique perspective and contagious energy.” The Rev’d Kevin Johnson, a UCC minister in Palm Springs, praised her as “an out lesbian leading a major religious body in the Coachella Valley. That’s not small potatoes.”

Suzanne M. Marsh was born on 25 October 1960 to Betty and Neil Marsh. She was graduated from Laurel (Maryland) High School in 1978, earned a B.S. in business administration in 1985, and then had a successful career of more than 20 years with major accounting firms. In the early 2000s, Suzanne heard a call to ministry, completed work for her M.Div. at the

Pacific School of Religion in 2007, and was ordained in 2009 by the First Unitarian Church of San Jose, CA. She served UU churches in Pennsylvania and Idaho before her call to Rancho Mirage. She is survived by her partner and spouse of nearly 40 years, Nancy Pless, her mother Betty Gersh, and by numerous siblings, children, and others. A Celebration of Life on 27 August 2016 at her church in Rancho Mirage was led by the Rev’d Lindi Ramsden, Suzanne’s former minister.

Memorial donations are encouraged to organizations that Suzanne supported: the UU Justice Ministry of CA and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

The Rev. Robert R. Walsh

The Reverend Robert “Robbie” Walsh, parish minister, skilled banjoist, and dedicated volunteer to the UU movement, died on 19 June 2016, aged 79.

A folk musician all his life, Robbie loved playing the banjo and the guitar at the monthly Ceilidh he led at Old Ship Church (Hingham, MA). He was the author of two well-received books of essays, poems, meditations, and prayers: Noisy Stones and Stone Blessings.

Robbie served on the UUA Board of Trustees while still a layperson and then on many UU committees and boards throughout his professional ministry. Of this service, the Rev’d Kenneth Read-Brown wrote that he “didn’t simply warm a seat at the table. Robbie actively did his part . . . to further the institutional strength of Unitarian Universalism.”

Robert Rea Walsh was born on 2 March 1937 to Adeline Rea Walsh and Francis Thomas Walsh. He grew up in Kingsport, Tennessee, and was the first in his father’s family to go to college. He received a B.S. from MIT in 1958 and worked for his father’s company until the call to ministry led him to Harvard Divinity School and a Master of Divinity degree in 1980. Ordained that year by his home church, the Holston Valley Unitarian Church of Kingsport, Robbie was soon called to the Unitarian Church of Duxbury (MA), where he spent his entire parish career, retiring after 22 years and named Minister Emeritus in 2003.

Robbie is survived by his spouse, “Kitty,” children Elizabeth Walsh, David Walsh and Nathaniel Walsh, two stepchildren, six grandchildren, and also by his former spouse, Reed Walsh.

Donations are encouraged to the UU Service Committee or to the UUA Living Tradition Fund. Notes of condolence may be sent to his widow Kathleen Ladd Ward, 121 Downer Avenue, Hingham, MA 02043 and/or his daughter, Beth Walsh, 14 Bertwell Road, Lexington, MA 02420.

The Rev. J. McRee “Mac” Elrod

The Reverend “Mac” Elrod, who pursued parallel careers in parish ministry, library science, and social activism, died on 16 June 2016, aged 84.

Jefferson McRee Elrod was born in Gainesville, Georgia, on 23 March 1932 to Angus and Lona McRee Elrod. After a B.A. magna cum laude in history (1952), he pursued dual studies in library science and ministry, doing fieldwork in local black churches and receiving ordination in the AME Church in 1954. Mac and his new spouse, Norma, then spent five years as educational missionaries in Korea.

Back in the U.S., Mac served library positions in Tennessee, Missouri, and Ohio (1961-67). Active in the civil rights movement, he and Norma became more progressive politically and religiously, with mounting distress over U.S. Vietnam war policy, and thus happily moved to Vancouver, BC, where he served as head of the University of British Columbia’s library cataloguing division from 1967 to 1978. After leaving the Methodist church, Mac received UUA ministerial fellowship in 1970 and served churches in the Vancouver area for 12 years until retirement from the parish in 1982. Upon departing UBC, he founded his own company and achieved international renown in the field of library cataloguing.

While raising six children in Canada, Mac and Norma’s home became a center for anti-war activism and a stopping point for hundreds of war objectors. He came out as gay in the 1970s and personally paid for the Canadian Unitarian Council to intervene in the 2004 Canadian Supreme Court hearings on same-sex marriage.

A longtime friend remembers Mac as “an unforgettable character, a committed humanitarian, never afraid to share his opinions nor speak on behalf of social justice and the environment, a friend who made me a better person through knowing him.”

He is survived by spouse Norma, five children, many grandchildren, and one great- grandchild. Memorial donations are encouraged to Doctors Without Borders. Condolences may be sent to Norma Cummins Elrod and/or their daughter Lona Manning.

Anna “Polly” Leonard

Polly Leonard

Anna “Polly” Leonard, 91, wife of the Reverend Richard Leonard, died on May 14, 2016, at Delmar Gardens in Lawrenceville, GA, after a seven year struggle with Alzheimer’s. Rev. Leonard is Minister Emeritus of All Souls Unitarian Church in New York City.

Born September 9, 1924, in Lancaster, PA, Anna Barr Leonard was married to Stanley C. Mason during WWII. After that marriage ended in divorce, she and Richard Leonard were married in 1970. Her three children and his daughters combined in an extended family of almost 200 persons, which included their parents, their siblings and families, seven grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, plus innumerable relatives and in-laws. Polly was the matriarch, delighting in the yearly family reunions.

She excelled in the banking world and conducted investigations for Citibank CEOs Walter Wriston and John Reed. She was a marvelous cook. Polly traveled the world together with Dick over the years, including trips to Mongolia, Nepal, Antarctica, Japan, China and Russia. At the same time, she was an active participant in church life.

Her daughter Helen Thilo Bigelow preceded her in death, but Polly is survived by her children, Kenneth Grant Mason and Martha Jean Mason, her stepdaughters, Suzanne Sykora and Elizabeth Leonard. Her winsome spirit is missed by her family, her friends, and her congregation. Her memorial service at All Souls on October 1, 2016 was attended by hundreds.

Donations in her name can be made to the Alzheimer’s Association or to All Souls Church, 1157 Lexington Ave., NY, NY 10075. Letters of condolence may be sent to Dick Leonard, 142 West End Ave, #15-V, New York, NY 10023-6112.

John Berquist

John Berquist, the spouse of the Rev. Dr. Carol Hepokoski, died May 12, 2016 of pancreatic cancer, surrounded by his family, at home in Eveleth MN. John was widely known as a folklorist, musician, and storyteller.

John had studied cultural geography, and wherever he lived he connected with the local immigrant communities, learning their stories and songs, and incorporating those into presentations. He delivered historical and musical programs in libraries and community centers throughout Minnesota, State Parks, and celebrations. His passion was the Iron Range of northern Minnesota, where he was born, and to which he often returned. He studied the cultural heritage of the Range, especially the oral history and music from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. John was a field worker for the Smithsonian, and the host of a traveling live radio program nominated for an award by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. His hand crafted maple syrup won blue ribbons at the St. Louis County Fair for several years.

He and Carol were married in 1983. They lived for two years in St Paul, where John served as the Folk Arts Coordinator for the Minnesota State Arts Board, but returned to the Range when children became part of their lives. Later, Carol’s work moved them to the Hyde Park neighborhood in Chicago, and John worked as a story teller and musician in after school programs and in senior centers throughout Chicago.

John had a lifelong interest in music, and was involved with bands wherever he was. He also participated as an active layperson in Unitarian Universalist congregations, bringing music and stories to worship services, leading and participating in choirs, and joining in district activities.

He is survived by his wife, the Rev. Dr. Carol Hepokoski; his sons, Andy Rosequist, Boston, and Jonah Berquist, San Francisco; and a widespread extended family.

Notes of condolence may be sent to the Rev. Dr. Carol A. Hepokoski, 8164 N. Long Lake Ct., Eveleth, MN 55734.

Memorials can be sent to the Mesabi UU Church, 230 South Seventh St, Virginia, MN 55792 or Faithful Fools Street Ministry, 234 Hyde St., San Francisco, CA 94102.

Barbara Mosher DeWolfe

Barbara DeWolfe

Barbara Mosher DeWolfe, 87, died Sunday May 8, 2016, after a brief illness. She was the widow of Rev. William A. “Bill” DeWolfe.

Barbara was the center her family’s life. She was known for her love of knitting, gardening, cribbage and bridge. She was born in Brewer, Maine, on March 3, 1929, and was raised in Bangor. Barb met the love of her life, Bill, at Ferry Beach in 1945, and their journey through life together included stops in Massachusetts, Texas, Missouri and Ohio. She and Bill retired to Damariscotta in 1996 and moved to Granite Hill in 2007. They built a large extended family throughout their travels in life and her loss will be felt widely and deeply.

Her dedication to the Unitarian Universalist faith was demonstrated throughout her life. She advocated for peace, human rights, civil rights, and women’s rights through her work with the church and in the community. She was among the first certified Directors of Religious Education in the UUA and was very active at the denominational level in curriculum development. Barbara and Bill’s dedication to Ferry Beach Park Association, the Unitarian Universalist conference center in Saco, included many years as conference leaders for youth and family programs and culminated with their lead donation for the construction of the DeWolfe Dining Hall in 2011.

She attended Jackson College and received her AB in 1950. Barbara always said that she never knew what she wanted to be in her professional life, but worked in public education, religious education, fair housing, community development, real estate, and hospital volunteer management while she waited to figure it out.

She is survived by her sons: Rick (Hillary) of Towson, Md., and Paul (Ellen) of Missoula, Mont.; four grandchildren: Abby DeWolfe (Seth) of Kensington, Md.; Reid DeWolfe (Courtney) of Somerville, Mass.; Jack DeWolfe of Barre, Vt., and Emily DeWolfe of Portland, Ore.; and two great-grandchildren, Sebastian and Madeline Patch of Kensington, Md.

Barbara was preceded in death by her husband of 65 years, William A. (Bill) DeWolfe, and her oldest son Mark Mosher DeWolfe.

The family requests donations in her memory be made to the Ferry Beach Park Association,
5 Morris Avenue, Saco, ME 04072

The Rev. Earle R. Ramsdell

Earle Ramsdell

The Rev. Earle R. Ramsdell, American Baptist minister, pastoral counselor, and beloved colleague in the Southwest District, died at home in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on April 23, 2016.

Earle Ramsdell was born May 27, 1921 in Somerville MA, to Lloyd and Anna (McDonald) Ramsdell. He graduated from Boston University with a BS in Education in 1944, then obtained a Master of Divinity at Andover Newton Theological School in 1946 and a second masters degree in counseling in 1972 from the University of North Texas.

He served two American Baptist pastorates between 1946 and 1953. He then served as the Associate Director of the Rhode Island State Council of Churches from 1953 to 1959, where, as the Director of Radio and Television, he produced and participated in religious programming. In 1959 he became the Executive Director of the Greater Flint (Michigan) Council of Churches, where he served as co-chair of the successful effort to pass an open housing ordinance, with Flint becoming the first city in the nation to enact such an ordinance by public vote. He was also instrumental in the creation of that city’s Human Relations Commission.

In 1973 he joined the staff of the Pastoral Counseling Center in Dallas TX, retiring in 1995 after twenty years as Director of Education and Training.

In retirement, he served as the volunteer Director of Pastoral Care at the Unitarian Church of Baton Rouge, having moved to Louisiana in 1995 with his wife Penny as she joined the faculty of the LSU School of Social Work.

He is survived by his wife Penny Smith Ramsdell; two daughters, two grandsons, and two great-grandsons.